Method for producing a hull wall from a fiber composite sandwich component

Abstract

In a method for producing a hull wall of a fiber composite sandwich component, shaped bodies of extruded polystyrene hard foam are enveloped with an envelope of fiber composite material with fibers oriented at least bidirectionally. The enveloped shaped bodies have a shape for forming a hull wall and are placed next to each other in a vacuum injection structure on a lower cover layer of fiber composite material. An upper cover layer of fiber composite material is placed on top of the enveloped shaped bodies and the vacuum injection structure is sealed. Matrix material is introduced and distributed in the vacuum injection structure until the fiber composite material of the envelopes and of the upper and lower cover layers is impregnated completely with the matrix material. The matrix material is cured and the fiber composite sandwich component of the hull wall is removed from the vacuum injection structure.

Claims

1. A method for producing a boat hull wall comprised of a fiber composite sandwich component, the method comprising: providing shaped bodies of extruded polystyrene hard foam, wherein the shaped bodies have a shape for forming a boat hull wall together; providing a flat recess in a surface of the shaped bodies, respectively; enveloping the shaped bodies of extruded polystyrene hard foam each with a separate envelope of fiber composite material comprising fibers oriented at least bidirectionally, wherein the separate envelope of fiber composite material comprises a first end and a second end positioned opposite the first end in a direction of enveloping the shaped bodies, by inserting the first end into the flat recess to compensate by the flat recess a double layer arrangement of the separate envelope of fiber composite material wrapped around the shaped bodies at the first end to obtain a smooth surface without projecting portions of the fiber composite material; placing a continuous lower cover layer of fiber composite material into a vacuum injection structure; placing the shaped bodies, each enveloped with the separate envelope, respectively, next to each other onto the continuous lower cover layer in the vacuum injection structure; placing a continuous upper cover layer of fiber composite material on top of all the shaped bodies, each enveloped with the separate envelope, respectively; sealing the vacuum injection structure; introducing and distributing a matrix material into the vacuum injection structure until the fiber composite material of the separate envelopes and of the upper and lower cover layers is impregnated completely with the matrix material; curing the matrix material in the vacuum injection structure to form the fiber composite sandwich component of the boat hull wall; and removing the fiber composite sandwich component of the boat hull wall from the vacuum injection structure.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising cutting by melting the shape of the shaped bodies prior to enveloping.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing cutouts on a surface of the shaped bodies, wherein the cutouts serve as flow aids for the matrix material.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising inserting flow aids into cavities of the vacuum injection structure.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a hollow channel in one or more of the shaped bodies to connect a first surface section of the one or more shaped bodies with a second surface section of the one or more shaped bodies.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention will be explained in the following with the aid of an embodiment in more detail.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of a finished fiber composite sandwich component.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(3) In FIG. 1, a cross section view of a finished fiber composite sandwich component 2 is illustrated. In the cross section view, it is clearly visible that the fiber composite sandwich component 2 comprises a number of adjacently positioned shaped bodies 4 that are arranged next to each other such that they form a section of a wall in particular for a hull. In the embodiment, the shaped bodies 4 have a trapezoidal shape in the cross section view, but any other cross-sectional shape can be selected also. In the embodiment, the shaped bodies 4 also all have the same cross section shape but, of course, in deviation therefrom also shaped bodies 4 can be employed that have different cross-sectional shapes and are arranged next to each other. In the embodiment, the shaped bodies 4 are arranged in a nested arrangement relative to each other so that the stays 10 are oriented in different directions in order to make the fiber composite sandwich component 2 as a whole more load-resistant.

(4) Each shaped body 4 is enveloped with a fiber composite material 6. In this way, circumferentially each shaped body 4 is covered across the entire surface area with the fiber composite material 6. In upward and downward directions, a cover layer 8 is placed respectively onto the fiber composite material 6 enveloping the shaped bodies 4. The cover layer 8 can be comprised also of a fiber composite material 6.

(5) In the region in which the surfaces of neighboring shaped bodies 4 are facing each other, the surfaces in any case delimit the cavity 16 for a stay 10. In the cavity of the respective stay 10 two layers of the fiber composite material 6 are positioned in the embodiment. When the cavity 16 in the region of the stays 10 is filled with matrix material 12, the fiber composite materials 6 in the region of the stays 10 are connected thereby to each other. Also in the region of the cover layers 8, the matrix material 12 connects the adjacently positioned sections of the fiber composite material 6 with the respective cover layers 8. The surface of the matrix material 12 in the finished fiber composite sandwich component 2 are indicated by the two dash-dotted lines 12.

(6) In a shaped body 4, two cutouts 14 are indicated as an example by dashed lines in the side of the surface facing the stay 10. Such cutouts 14 can serve as flow aids for the matrix material 12 through which the matrix material 12 can distribute better in the region of a stay. In the embodiment, the cutouts 14 extend transversely to the vertical axis of the stay 10; the cutouts 14 can however also extend in any other direction or their course can branch or change.

(7) In the cross section view in FIG. 1, the cavities 16 which are still present in a vacuum injection structure are completely filled with matrix material 12 after manufacture of the finished component.

(8) As a further embodiment, in the right stay 10 a flow aid 18 is inserted between the two layers of the fiber composite material 6 provided thereat. The flow aid can be, for example, a nonwoven through which the matrix material 12 can flow better than through the fiber composite materials 6 resting against each other. The flow aid 18 in this way can accelerate and improve the distribution of the matrix material 12 in the region of a stay 10.

(9) In the left shaped body 4 a hollow channel 20 is indicated by dashed lines. The hollow channel 20 can serve for guiding matrix material 12, flowing in on the surface of the left shaped body 4 to the opening of the hollow channel 20, to the lower opening of the hollow channel 20 so that the matrix material can spread further there. A hollow channel 20 can contribute in this way to filling more quickly and completely the cavities 16 in a vacuum injection structure with matrix material 12.

(10) In the shaped bodies 4 there is also a recess 22 at a location which is facing the cover layers 8. A free end of the respective fiber composite material 6 is inserted in the region of the recess 22. The recess 22 is dimensioned such that the fiber composite material 6 in the region of the recess 22 does not project upwardly or downwardly when the cover layer 8 is placed thereon. In this way, it is possible, despite individual overlapping regions of the fiber composite materials 6, to obtain as a whole a smooth and pleasing surface of the fiber composite sandwich component 2 across the entire surface of the cover layers 8. The free end of the respective fiber composite material 6 can be glued or can be fastened in another suitable way in the region of the recess 22 for better fixation.

(11) The invention is not limited to the afore described embodiments. For a person of skill in the art it is easily possible to modify the embodiments in a way that appears suitable to him in order to adapt it to a concrete application situation.